Chairman Peter Sidwell Stadium AAMI Park A-League Finals Series 6th | Manager John van 't Schip A-League 6th Top goalscorer Babalj (9) | |
The 2011–12 Melbourne Heart FC season was the club's second since its establishment in 2009. The club participated in the A-League for the second time. The club was originally scheduled to compete in the first ever edition of the Mirabella Cup, along with fellow A-League side and fierce rival Melbourne Victory, but FFA forbade all A-League clubs from competing. The season saw the addition of a youth team to the club, which competed in the 2011–12 A-League National Youth League season.
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Season overview
On 7 July 2011, the club announced it would take part in the inaugural Hawaiian Islands Invitational from 23–25 February 2012. The squad is set to be made up of emerging youth players as the tournament overlaps with the 2011–12 A-League season. Taking part in the Invitational will be Japan's Yokohama FC, South Korea's Incheon United FC and reigning MLS Cup winners the Colorado Rapids.
Melbourne Heart, along with major sponsor Westpac will again stage the Westpac Community Football Festival. This will be three, three-day celebrations of football as well as a thank you to all of the club's regional supporters. The three reigonal centers will be set up in Albury-Wodonga on 4–6 August, in Morwell from 18–20 August and in Shepparton from 25–27 August with a practice match being played at each venue.
Team kit
From 1 April 2011, all A-League clubs were able to negotiate new kit supplier deals as the previous contract with Reebok had elapsed and as such, Melbourne Heart negotiated a one-year deal with ISC.
In conjunction with new apparel partner ISC, the club offered supporters the chance to submit designs for a ‘Third Jersey’. A design created by Red and White Unite co-founder Steven Forbes was judged the winner. The design was manufactured in a limited run of 150 and sold to the public.
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Youth Team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Squad statistics
Updated on 2 April 2012
Players in italics left the team during the season.
Disciplinary records
Last updated on 6 April 2012
League table
Updated to games played on 25 March 2012..
Source: the-AFC.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
1First place through to sixth place qualify for the 2012 A-League Finals Series.
2First place qualifies for the 2013 AFC Champions League Group stage.
3Winning the 2012 A-League Grand Final automatically earns qualification for the 2013 AFC Champions League Qualifying play-off, unless first place are champions.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results summary
Source: Competitive Matches
Results by round
Source: Competitive Matches N = Neutral
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.
League table
Rules for classification:1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored.
# = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points.
Hawaiian Islands Invitational
The 2012 Hawaiian Islands Invitational took place from 23–25 February 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Taking part in the Invitational were to be Japan's Yokohama FC, South Korea's Incheon United FC and reigning MLS Cup winners the Colorado Rapids. Due to the competitions scheduling, Melbourne Heart were forced to field their youth team, because the competition overlaps with the domestic A-League season.